Published On: February 24, 20224.5 min readBy

Why is change hard?  Fear of the unknown, fear of doing something different.  These are age old questions that can be attributed to any person or business.  We change because we see the value of analytics and trusting our information to help drive results.  We believe that speed and efficiency are not just words that can be used in a marketing flyer but are actual deliverables that we can show agents.  Our approach is simple, your time is valuable, and we want to give you more of it.  By using our rating websites, you get bindable quotes that can be emailed to your insured for electronic signature, returned to us and policies in your inbox within minutes.  Yes minutes.   Not days or weeks. 

By allowing the agent the ability to quote, and request binders and having the documents in their inbox, we help give you more time to sell.  That is one of the many things an insurance agent does and is the cornerstone to grow.  In all my years in this business, I have never heard an agency owner say that they are comfortable where they are and do not want to grow their business.  Just as an aside, if you are comfortable where you are and are not interested in growth, you probably should quit reading and do something else, because the M&A market is hot. 

The insurance industry has and is evolving.  We used to rate policies in house and mail everything to the carrier.  Then it was fax machines and carbon paper.  Then we went to email and scanned copies.  Now is the time for online rating and instantly binding policies. We do not have to be stuck in the way it is.  We can adapt and ignite change within this industry.  That is what Rocklake is doing and will continue to do.  While we want to win all the deals possible, our first goal is to deliver a profit to our partner carriers.  By doing this, we will be in the market today, tomorrow, and in the future.  We will not sacrifice profit to give away an account and are unwavering in our commitment to do just that.  The transportation realm of insurance is one that is in a state of flux.  Nuclear verdicts, lack of qualified drivers, and an overall need to get product across the country will continue to be issues affecting this industry.  Using information and formulating a rate based on that does not have to continue to be something that can take days or weeks. 

“We live in a world where automation is a reality – so why are so many of us still wasting time manually fiddling with small tasks? Automation can relieve you of all the low-value, boring work you hate, whether that’s filling in expenses, tracking your time, taking meeting notes, organizing your inbox or manually moving data between different work tools or spreadsheets. The number of things that can be automated is only growing, so it’s worth a little research to learn what unproductive tasks you can outsource. It’s one of the easiest ways to free up more of your time and mental energy for the work that requires the skills you were hired for.”

(8 Ways, 2019)

Automation is key.  Rocklake has taken the tasks that used to take days, if not weeks, and has turned them into minutes. We see the value in your time and want you to be able to use it however you want to use it.  I do not want to call it a quoting platform anymore.  Our platform is a binding platform.  One that allows you to get binders more quickly and efficiently (Just for reference, that is my opinion and not what it is called.  It is and will be a rating platform, but I was just using creative license).  We, as an organization, have not stopped finding ways to creative efficiencies.  There are more coming down the pike.  I would appreciate an opportunity to speak to you in person about those.  If you feel like your organization needs help or wants to increase their time selling and decrease their time waiting give me a call or email me. 

Wes Becknell is the Vice President of Marketing for Rocklake Insurance Group.  He oversees the distribution and marketing across the country.  His experience within the industry is unique in that he has worked in every facet of the insurance industry.  From an agency to premium finance, to regional and national carriers and an MGA.  He has taken underperforming regions and helped deliver significant growth while not sacrificing profit in his time within the industry and building relationships with key agent partners across the country. 

Wes has won Marketing Rep of the Year in Texas and Oklahoma from both insurance trade associations and has had the opportunity to serve on Young Agents Committees in both Texas and Oklahoma. He is a self-avowed insurance nerd and enjoys mentoring and developing the next generation of insurance professionals, so that they can find what drives them to succeed and find fulfillment within the industry. 

References:
8 ways we waste time at work – when we think we’re working (2019, December4).  8 ways we waste time at work – when we think we’re working (memory.ai)